Thursday May 12th was the second of two Art Shows in the Boise area. The Meadowlake Village and Zions Bank Art Shows were my first two shows displaying artwork for the local world to see. These two events will always be memorable for me especially because several of my family members and friends were there to cheer me on.
I won't kid you, preparing for these shows was like training for a marathon. Paintng, matting and framing took the majority of my time for the past two to three months (and quite a bit of my art budget). I had no idea what to expect...even though I have attended both the Zions and Meadowlake Village Art Shows in the past. I certainly have a new found respect for what it takes to prepare and participate in these shows. To say nothing of the moxie one must muster up in order to stand in front of his or her art display and greet art patrons...knowing all along that many of them will simply (and hopefully politely) pass by without connecting to my work while others will stop and take a closer look. As an artist, I might as well be standing there naked, as that's the level of vulnerability I felt when showing the world what poured out of my heart.
Overall, the two experiences were incredibly rewarding. To hear words of encouragement is food for the soul. The conversations with people who appreciated my efforts and the end result is humbling. I am so thankful for the businesses and attendees who helped to bolster the confidence level of all the artists who were there. Whether we had sales or not, we all benefitted by their encouraging words.
While artists are an eclectic group (and there are many different types of people who are artists) many if not most are introverts and naturally shy. I think that's why we find it so enjoyable to paint for hours and days on end alone in our studios or outside in remote locations. When we go into "the zone" we pour ourselves into the painting we are working on. Sometimes we wrestle around in it...and SOMETIMES WE DANCE! When we get the chance to dance, it's as close to being in heaven as a person can get. The cerebral effort to make the painting a success vanishes. The struggle with composition, colors and values melt away with each stroke. We simply dance through the painting embedding our heart and soul directly into the painting, unaware of our surroundings and the passage of time. That intoxicating feeling of "the dance" is what we are pursuing...it fuels our lust for more! We become addicted.
Therefore, selling our art is usually a necessity to fuel our habit. Most of us enjoy considerably the conversations we have during these shows. We are encouraged, our artwork appreciated, and yes even a sale from time to time helps us to purchase more paint, better canvases or paper, more or better tools of the trade. All in an effort to get back...to THE DANCE!
